ACTRA, Conference of the Arts call for early review of new media exemption

GATINEAU, QUE.—The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) and the Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA) are calling on the CRTC for an early review of its new media exemption order and the development a regulatory framework that covers the new media on the Internet. Ferne Downey, ACTRA’s national president, told CRTC commissioners during hearings on vertical integration Wednesday that, while she welcomes the commission's consultation on over-the-top services, the organization cannot wait for the commission’s scheduled review of the exemption in 2014. “It is imperative that the commission consider the impact of all these developments together and develop an appropriate, forward-looking, comprehensive regulatory framework for broadcasting that includes all platforms and distribution channels, including the Internet and wireless,” she said. In 2009, the CRTC upheld the 1999 new media exemption order, refraining from regulating content on the Internet and continuing to exempt new media undertakings from regulation or the requirement to hold a broadcasting licence. But the exemption is not scheduled for review until 2014. Downey said vertical integration would hasten the move toward distribution on other platforms, which needs to be addressed before Canadian content “falls through the regulatory cracks.” Alain Pineau, the CCA’s national director, said vertical integration should mean looking at the “various limbs of the giants you have created with the same regulatory lense ... “If Shaw cable, Shaw satellite and Shaw television services have to contribute to the funding of Canadian programming, then why exactly should Shaw’s Internet and Shaw’s eventual wireless not do the same?” he said. “This is the kind of level playing field for Canadian culture we advocate, as opposed to the ‘deregulate everything’ push from some of the most vertically integrated companies in the field.” Earlier on Wednesday, Shaw Communication Inc. also called for a level playing field between over-the-top services and regulated broadcasters by deregulating video-on-demand services. Ken Stein, Shaw’s senior vice-president of corporate and regulatory affairs, said video-on-demand is one way of competing with popular, over-the-top services like Netflix and Apple TV. He said greater flexibility in the packaging and offering of video-on-demand would provide Shaw with a stronger tool. A number of companies, such as Google Inc. and Netflix Inc., have suggested that the CRTC's consultation on over-the-top services is unnecessary. Netflix says its catalogue provides a large amount of Canadian programming without any regulations in place. Best Buy Co. Ltd., which plans to launch a new over-the-top service in Canada called CinemaNow, says it plans to offer “a significant amount of Canadian content” on the site. mburgess@thewirereport.ca

ACTRA, Conference of the Arts call for early review of new media exemption

Broadcast | June 22, 2011

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